ICYMI: Zach Nunn Denies the Consequences of His Own Health Care Votes
Nunn insists the rural health care crisis has "nothing to do" with the Medicaid cuts he voted for
Representative Zach Nunn is once again attempting to distance himself from the consequences of the Republican Tax Law he proudly supported, claiming recent hospital closures are unrelated to the nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts included in the legislation.
In a recent interview, Nunn dismissed concerns that Iowa's worsening rural health care crisis is connected to the law and instead pointed to a single new health clinic while defending the Medicaid cuts as necessary to prevent fraud.
The facts on the ground tell a different story.
Since the Republican Tax Law passed, Iowa has already seen a growing list of health care closures and service reductions, including the closure of MercyOne clinics in Ottumwa, South Des Moines, and Traer; labor and delivery units in Clinton and at Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center; Horn Memorial Hospital's home health and hospice services; Britton Chiropractic & Rehab Clinic; Planned Parenthood's Iowa City Health Center; and multiple River Hills Community Health Center and UnityPoint family medicine clinics. Additional service reductions have also been announced at Pella Regional Medical Clinic, MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center, and MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center, and Mercy Hospital Council Bluffs.
These closures come as hospitals across Iowa warn they are facing mounting financial pressure after Republicans voted to slash Medicaid while allowing Affordable Care Act tax credits to expire.
Progress Iowa Executive Director Mazie Stilwell released the following statement:
"Zach Nunn can deny reality all he wants, but Iowans are living it. You can't vote to gut Medicaid, take health coverage away from families, and then pretend the growing list of hospital closures has nothing to do with your votes. Iowa is losing access to care in real time, and Nunn owns that record."
As Iowa physician Dr. Nourian has warned, the impact extends far beyond the communities losing facilities. When rural hospitals and clinics close or reduce services, patients are forced to travel to larger cities like Des Moines and Iowa City, increasing wait times, delaying specialty care, and leaving more Iowans sicker before they can receive treatment.
“I kind of think about it in the most simplest terms, like, if you close down all the ice cream shops in your town and you only have one open, everyone's gonna go to that one, and the employees in that one are not gonna be able to keep up with the amount of customers they have,” she said. “And I feel like it is becoming that way.”
Rather than acknowledging the consequences of his votes, Nunn continues to defend the law that cut Medicaid to help finance tax breaks for billionaires and wealthy corporations. While he points to isolated investments, Iowa's overall health care system continues to lose providers, services, and access to care.
"One ribbon cutting doesn't erase fifteen closures and service cuts," Stilwell added. "Iowans deserve a representative who protects their local hospitals, not one who votes to undermine them and then insists the damage isn't happening."